According to the China Youth Network on December 9, after the erroneous remarks of Takahashi Sanae on Taiwan triggered Chinese countermeasures, Japan not only failed to learn a lesson but also began to hype up the so-called "Chinese fighter jets continuously using radar to target Japanese Self-Defense Forces aircraft."

China made a strong response for two consecutive days, emphasizing that Japan was distorting facts and shifting blame, and demanded Japan to stop interfering with China's normal training activities immediately, while releasing evidence to expose Japan's so-called "no notification" lie.

The continuous countermeasures have quickly tightened the nerves within Japan, as it fears the situation is slipping out of control.

More worrying for Japan is that, after Takahashi Sanae provoked China, the United States has not publicly supported Japan, which is completely different from what Japan originally expected: the U.S.-Japan joint stance against China.

Now, an anonymous Japanese official has stated that the possibility of further actions by China cannot be ruled out. Japanese media also pointed out that the current Japanese political circle believes the situation has clearly escalated, and they are on high alert for the possibility of a Chinese military action.

In this atmosphere, Japan's ambassador to the U.S., Yamada Shigehisa, has requested the U.S. to publicly express support.

Yamada Shigehisa

It's now evident that Japan is in a state of panic. Takahashi had two unexpected outcomes: one was not expecting China's reaction, and the other was not expecting the U.S. reaction.

Currently, Japanese officials and media are focusing on a fact: the U.S. has never publicly expressed clear support for Takahashi's provocation, and instead, during the phone call between the U.S. and Japanese leaders, Takahashi was warned by Trump not to provoke China over the Taiwan issue.

This attitude from Trump is vastly different from what Japan had assumed—that the U.S. would always back Japan on the Taiwan issue.

Japan's recent tough policies toward China were largely based on the assumption that the U.S. would cover for them. Once the U.S. refuses to step forward, Japan has to bear the pressure alone. This psychological gap has left Japan unprepared.

Naturally, the core issue is that Japan can't afford China's anger. Therefore, the ambassador to the U.S. urgently sought help, directly demanding the U.S. to make a public statement.

This is equivalent to pressuring the U.S. to take a stand. And the U.S.'s performance is very real—still keeping silent.

This can be understood: I already warned you, but you didn't listen. Now you want me to back you up? That's just a dream.

Takahashi Sanae

Such behavior by Japan in trying to get the U.S. to take a position itself reveals a lot, indicating that Japan can no longer withstand both internal and external pressures.

Japan's foreign ministry clearly understands that if the U.S. does not step forward, Japan will have to face a reality: all its provocative acts against China will have to be borne by itself.

On one hand, Japan is simply unable to confront China; on the other hand, Japan is worried that the U.S. silence might send a message of tacit approval, making China even less likely to show mercy to Japan.

Naturally, Japan is overthinking. China's determination to safeguard its own interests does not require anyone's approval.

This is why the U.S. doesn't support Takahashi Sanae. The U.S. itself knows that backing her would serve no purpose, so the U.S. can only let Japan learn a lesson on its own.

Japan and the U.S.

So far, this series of events fully exposes three core issues in Japan's strategy.

Firstly, Japan severely underestimated China's resolve to defend its core interests. Takahashi thought she could test the waters with words, but she completely misunderstood China's reaction mechanism and intensity.

Secondly, Japan overly relied on the U.S., assuming that all risks would be covered by the U.S.-Japan alliance. However, the U.S. now clearly focuses more on its own interests and is unwilling to get involved in uncontrollable situations caused by Japan's provocations.

Thirdly, Japan's judgment of regional circumstances still lingers in the old era, believing that it could increase its voice by using the Taiwan card. But reality tells it: the times have changed completely. This change is not only about the Chinese nation moving from backwardness to great rejuvenation, but also about a new shift in the world order.

After hard-colliding with China, the U.S. retreated. Where did Takahashi get the courage to provoke China?

Original article: toutiao.com/article/7582128842014245403/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.